Furnace



Sheet 1.

3 Sheets (No Model.)

P. H. RICHARDS.

FURNAGE.

lPatented Dec. 12 1893.

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(No Model.) Y 3 sheetssheet 2.

- F. H. RICHARDS.

PURNAGB.

PatentedDec. 1 2, 1893.

I No. 510,555.

THE NAhoNAL LlmoanAPnma cuMFANv.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-sheet 3.

P. H. RICHARDS.

- "FURNAGL Patented vDec. 12, 1893.

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nTnNr FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ECKLEY-B. OOXE, OF DRIFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

FURN'AGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,555, dated December12, 1893.

Application filed September 4. 1893. Serial No.7484l702. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFurnaces, of which the following` is a specification.

This invention relates to traveling-grate furnaces; the object being toprovide a furnace in which the grate-bars of the furnace- Iioor shall beoperable independently of the traveling-movement of said floor, for thepurpose of breaking up and agitating the fuel during the combustion ofthe same.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a furnace embodying my presentimprovements. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with thegrate-mechanism and the air-blast apparatus removed. Fig. 3 is a partialplan view of the furnace. Fig. 4 is a transverse section in line a-a ofFig. 1, showing the parts at the right-hand of said line as seen from apoint at the left-hand thereof. Fig. 5 is a side view of the furnace, asseen from above in Fig. 3 and from the left-hand in Fig. 4, 'forillustrating the apparatus shown for operating the movably-supportedgrate-bars. Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the grate-bars. Fig. 7 is aside elevation of the same, as seen from below in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is anend view of the grate-bar as seen from the right-hand in Fig. 7. Fig. 9is an end view of a series of the grate-bars assembled in the travelinggrate, and is illustrative of the operation of the grate-bars.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

Inasmuch as my present improvements are more especially intended for usein connection with the furnace described in Letters Patent No. 499,716,granted to Eckley B. Coxe, .l une 20, 1893,I have herein shown theseimprovements applied to a furnace of the kind described and claimed insaid patent; but my present improvements are applicable to other kindsof traveling-grate furnaces, being more particularly intended 'for usein burningbituminous or semi-bitu minous coals.

The furnace shown in the drawings has its 52e furnace-chamber,C,inclosed, in practice. by the usual side-walls as 2 and 4, and at therearward end thereof has the usual bridge-Wall, and at the forward endthereof has the wall 3, through which is a passage-way, 5, in which 5 5the fuel is supplied to the grate from an' ordinary hopper, H, at thefront end of the furnace. 'lhe grate-mechanism is inclosed in amechansmchamber, C, underneath the furnace-chamber, access to which isor may be 6o obtained by means of the door 55, at the forward end ofthefurnace. Said mechanismchamber is ordinarily so inclosed for the purposeof preventing or reducing the leakage of air by way of the edges of thetraveling grate.

The traveling grate, which is designated in va general way by G,consists of grate-bars and carrying-chains therefor, which chains,designated by 50 and 50', are carried by chain- 7o wheels 12 and 14,ixedon the driving-shafts 13 and 15, which are supported in suitablebearings in the furnace structure. For actuating the grate-mechanism,one set of shafts, l5, has on its projecting end a worin-Wheel, 40,which meshes with a worm, 41,0n a driving-shaftv that is carried inbearings, 43 and 43', on the framework of the furnace. Saiddriving-shaft 42 may be actuated by `means of a pulley (not shown) fixedthereon in the 8o usual manner. The links, 6, of the chains 50 l n o s 1n `and 50 have bearings for recelvlng tne Journals, 8 and 8', of themovably-supported grate-bars, 9, which in the preferred form thereofshown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, consist of a 85 bar or vertical plate 9',provided along the upper edge thereof with the grate-bars proper, orfuel-supporting fingers 9", which, as shown in Fig. 3, intermesh thefingers of one pair with those of the next pair so as to form a 9ocontinuous grated fioor for the f urnace-chamber. At the ends of thegrate-bars 9, these are provided with the end-walls, 16 and 16', which,as indicated in Fig. 4, form a continuous wall along the edge of thefurnace-floor gf; for properly holding up the edges of the layer 22 ofVfuel on the grate. See Fig. 1. The foregoing arrangement of the detailsof the grate-mechanism will be undestood by comparison of the severalfigures of drawings, esespecially Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 9.

The upper run, 10, of the endless grate G is shown supported by thelower edges of the beams thereof running upon the upper side of theair-blast chamber J, which chamber, as described in the aforesaidLetters Patent No. 499,716, consists of a series of separate air-blastchambers, ct, 1J, c, d, supplied with air under varying pressures,through the pipes a', ZJ', c, and d', from the conduit, M, or othersource of air-supply.

The lower run, 11, of the endless grate is shown supported by theguard-walls of the grate-bars running upon the ways 19 and 19', whichare fixed in proper position therefor. In practice, in cases where thedescribed airsupply chambers are not used, similar guides or ways willbe provided for supporting the upper run of the traveling grate.

For the purpose of operating the gratebars to break up the fuel, and todo this independently of the traveling-movement of the furnace-door, thegrate-bars are shown provided with lever-arms, 17, whose projectingends, 1S, (preferably in the form of studs and which may be providedwith rollers, not shown,) run in a guide-way or groove, 20,corresponding in form to the traveling-movement of the grate-bars. Theupper side of said groove is formed in a grate-operating bar, 21, whichis shown pivotally supported at 23 and 24, on the rocker-arms 25 and25', which are journaled at 26 and 27, in bearings on the framework ofthe furnace structure, and whose outer arms, 2S and 2S', are connectedby means of a rod, 29, for imparting to said operating-bar areciprocatory movement transversely of the furnace-floor. On theoperation of said bar, those of the grate-bars whose lever-arms engagein the groove 2O of said bar 21, are thereby oscillated on theirjournals 8 and 8 in the carrying-chains. IVhen said operating-bar israised, the gratebars are thrown forward, as illustrated in Fig. 9; andwhen the operating-bar is lowered below its position in Fig. 2, thegrate-bars will be reversely actuated. By this means, the fuel upon thegrate may be thoroughly agitated and broken up whenever required, byimparting one or more reciprocatory movements, as described,to saidoperating-bar 29. This may be effected automatically by means of a cam,30, fixed on the driving shaft L.1.2, and having therein a groove, 81for receiving the stud, 32. By lifting the pin 32 (see Figs. 2 and 5) inthe connecting-rod 29 ont of engagement with said cam, the operation ofthe grate-bar-actuating apparatus may be stopped. In practice, asuitable hand-lever,

33, will be fixed upon one of the rockers, as

28', as indicated in Fig. 5, whereby the attendant inay actuate theoperating-bar 29 by hand.

The operation of the endless grate, and the mechanism for operating thesame, will be readily understood from the preceding description inconnection with the drawings and the aforesaid Letters Patent. Theoperation of the grate-bars by means of the actuatingdevices describedtherefor will only be required when the same fuel upon an ordinary gratewould require the use of a slicing-bar, and at such times the grate-barsmay be operated for breaking up the coked fuel, either by hand or bymeans of the automatic apparatus described therefor.

IIaving thus described my invention, I claiml. In a furnace, thecombination, in the grate-mechanism thereof, of carrying-chains, meansfor actuating said chains, rocking grate-bars supported on the chains,and reciprocatory grate bar actuating apparatus, substantially asdescribed, engaging the gratebars for rocking the same during theirtravcling-movement.

2. In a furnace, the combination with carrying-chains and means foractuating the same, of rocking grate-bars carried by the chains andhaving lever-arms, and a reciprocatory operating-bar engaging saidleverarms, and means for actuating said bar whereby the grate-bars maybe operated during the traveling-movement of the same.

3. In a furnace, the combination with a series of rocking grate-bars,and with apparatus for carrying the said bars laterally thereof, areciprocatory operating-bar engaging said grate-bars and driving-shaft,connections from said shaft for operating the grate-bar-carryingapparatus, and means intermediate to said shaft and operating-barimparting reciprocatory movement thereto, and for the purpose specilied.

t. In a grate-mechanism of the class specified, the combination with thecarryingchains, of a series of intermeshing grate-bars journaled on saidchains, and a reciprocatory grate-bar-actuating apparatus engaging thegrate-bars for rocking the same, substantially as described.

5. In a furnace, the combination with a grate-bar carrier supported andarranged for a traveling movement, of recprocatory gratebars carriedside by side by said carrier and adapted for movement independently ofthe traveling movement of the carrier.

FRANCISu H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, JOHN L. EDWARDS, Jr.

IOO

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